Forensics Classes Take a Trip

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Jenna Lulling

Forensics classes explore the police task force career.

Forensics teacher Timothy Haislet, gave his students the opportunity to get a hands on experience in parts of the forensic career field on Dec. 11.

“The field trip first started in the West Hennepin police station. We had to relocate to another location (Orono Police Station) because the trip cost was $600 just for the bus ride alone,” Haislet said.

On the Dec. 11 field trip Orono’s Police Chief Correy Farniok and West Hennepin’s Chief of Police Garry Craells gave speeches to Haislet’s forensics classes. The students got an inside look as to why Farnick and Craells chose to go into their field of work, as well as new technologies that police around the area are using for protection.

“At the end of our guns we have a light, this is for more visibility and safety. We are currently installing GoPro cameras to tape gun pulling scenarios” said Craells.

Craells mentioned that although this technology is great for ensuring safety of the police as well as the suspects, they rarely pull their guns. They would much rather use a non life-threatening weapon, such as a tazer.

The students were also able to hear from one of Hennepin County’s medical examiners, Dr. Carrie Notch. Notch is not only the medical examiner for Hennepin County, but also an ME for 19 other counties in Minnesota. Notch gave a presentation about the different types of cases she sees and explained some of the ways she knows the difference between certain cases.

Notch covered different types of death cases such as car crash, suicide, gunshot wound, drowning and autoerotic cases. The most popular question asked by the students was “what is the most interesting case you have ever seen?” Notch responded by showing a collection of pictures of a man who was punctured multiple times by a reindeer, and then later died of wounds.

“I never found out what had happened to the culprit [a reindeer], but I imagine that it didn’t end well for it,” Notch said.

After listening to the speakers the students were placed into four different groups, one in which they got to experience a gun simulation, a lesson on the types of drugs that are found and collected by the task force, a traffic stop simulation and a SWAT equipment and taser group.

One of the seemingly most popular stations was the SWAT equipment and taser stations. At this station the students got to try on different gear that is worn by the team and sit in the SWAT truck. If the student was put into the taser group they were able to shock a target board from a few feet away.

“It was really cool to get to see and try on what SWAT members really wear. It gave me an insight into what it’s really like for them,” junior Caroline Gardner said.

At the end of the field trip, the students and police force gathered into the garage where the traffic stop simulation took place, and took a big group picture to commemorate an experience that no one would ever forget.

“I would like to say that the field trip really added a lot to our class experience as the many different things we had learned about in class fit together during the field trip,” senior Nathan Schultz said.

“We really appreciate the people that want to come and do this to learn about what we do here. It’s an awesome experience for everyone all around,”

— Sergeant Rick Denneson

sergeant Rick Denneson said. “The students seem interested and want to learn about what we do, and I know that the whole force loves to help out and are excited for the opportunity to teach these young adults about a potential career for them.”